


Of Clones and Force-Sensitivity

by Fandom_Trash224



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Force-Sensitive Clones (Star Wars), Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, but listen consider: i love this au, is this ooc? maybe, more tags to be added probably, not in chronological order fun fact, oh wow now theres plot, will continue to be posted in both places
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-03-27 15:57:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19016077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Trash224/pseuds/Fandom_Trash224
Summary: the one that started as a little force-sensitive rex au that has now spiraled into several other clonestimeline's a bit messy here folks, you have been warned





	1. Awakening

The battle had taken a turn for the worse so fast, nobody saw it coming. The Jedi had gone off somewhere else, leaving their troops to fend for themselves, placing their trust in the manufactured men to hold off the droids until they got back. They did their job, they did it well, all the way up until the explosion.

It kills most of his vode. It injuries others, throwing them back every which way, and he himself is only able to stay in one place because the air around him shifts, ever so slightly, when he asks it to. He still falls to the ground, the impact of the explosion hitting him, the trembling ground causing him to lose his footing.

When he stands, he is unsteady and his breaths come in soft shudders that shake his entire ribcage. The battle continues to rage around him, his vode calling out to each other, dying shrieks and blastershots slowly fading into a dull echo as the ringing in his ears slowly grows into a low hum.

The hum does not stay confined to his ears, however. No, this is the hum of something else, something he is not meant to have but always has. Something he’s hidden so, so well for so, so long. It dances around him, greeting him as an old friend, moving through him, the hum growing louder and louder and enveloping him until he is one with it.

The hum shifts the air around him, and it’s almost as if everything begins to slow down. He can feel the energy of the blasters firing, the warmth that indicates that his generals aren’t far off now, that he has to do this fast, lest he be caught. He breathes, and the air breathes with him.

Everything stops, and he places a hand out, and he concentrates, and the droids are pushed back, their mechanical screams of confusion barely registering in his ears. The stunned shock of his vode, however, hit him full force. Not all are shocked, the ones in blue have always known, and it is a treasured secret among them. Of the ones in orange, however, only three are not shocked, only afraid.

Not of him, never of him, but for him. The Jedi have returned, and they could feel the way the air warped around the lone captain, even as the hum leaves him, and the air grows stagnant around him once more. He doesn’t even notice their return until he turns, and looks into the now uncovered faces of the 501st and 212th.

He takes off his own helmet, and Rex stands at attention as General Skywalker, General Kenobi, and Commander Tano stare at him, slack-jawed and furrow-browed.

“Rex,” Skywalker says, picking his jaw up from the ground just long enough to speak “What the hell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so it begins
> 
> comments and kudos appreciated
> 
> check me out at my star wars tumblr: clonesdeservebetter.tumblr.com


	2. Awakening: The Follow-Up

The conversation was a tense one, the betrayal, shock, and fear in his general and commander’s eyes piercing through Rex almost as bad as a vibroblade to the chest. Of course, as always, Kenobi remained the most neutral of the three, but the air around him rippled with something that Rex would call fear if he didn’t know the man better.

“How long have you known about your abilities?” The elder general asked, using his interrogation voice that would’ve made a lesser man flinch. Rex did not flinch.

“Since I was a cadet,” Rex said “I knew it wasn’t something I was meant to have, so I hid it.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Anakin asked, and Rex cringed at the pain in his voice “Don’t you trust us?”

Of course Rex trusted them. They were his commanding officers, they were Jedi, and above all, they were good people. Reckless, rule-breaking, and maybe a bit temperamental, but good people nonetheless. They cared about the troops under their command, and he had come to care for them just as much as he cared for his own  _vode_. He would follow them into battle without hesitation, even if it ended with him being chucked off a giant wall.

But…

“Not with this,” Rex said “This isn’t something I felt like I could trust the Jedi with.”

“Why not?” Anakin demanded, and Rex just stared at him, his face grave. He could feel it when the three Jedi realized it.

If one clone could be Force-sensitive, others could be, too.

“But why hide that? If clones could be Force-sensitive, it could turn the tide of the war.” Ahsoka pointed out, and Fives, from just behind Anakin, barked out a bitter laugh.

“The Kaminoans don’t exactly agree with you, sir,” Fives said “The original order didn’t call for Force-sensitives. They were only asked for soldiers to fight under the Jedi, not clones who could be  _Jedi_.”

The room was silent for a moment, Anakin casting a glance at Fives, and then to Rex, then back to Fives, then back to Rex, and finally landing on Fives. Rex had to resist the urge to call Fives an idiot as Anakin’s realization hit the Force.

“Fives,” He said “You too?”

Fives didn’t cower back, didn’t shrink down, even as his fear permeated the air of the room. He stood up straighter, chin up, like he was ready to throw down with somebody at 79’s for insulting his company.

“Yes I am, sir. Known since just after Rishi Outpost.”

Silence again. The three Jedi looked to each other, then around at the other clones of the 501st and 212th. Rex held his breath, a decision was about to made: tell the Council, who will tell the Kaminoans, who will likely kill all the clones with any sort of difference, or keep the secret and face the consequences if it gets out.

“We’ll keep your secret, Rex,” Ahsoka said finally, to which both Anakin and Obi-Wan nodded “Yours too, Fives.”

“And anybody else who has the secret.” Anakin added, looking around, and Rex felt the air all around the troops relax. Kix shook as he let out a breath, Waxer unclenched a fist, even Cody sighed out. The flood of relief in the Force seemed to overwhelm the Jedi for a moment, but they quickly regained their composure.

“Now, I suppose there’s only one question left to ask: how many are there of you? Because if you’re going to use the Force, you need to learn how to use it properly.”

Rex looked around, and gave Obi-Wan a look that conveyed something like ‘Are you sure you wanna get into this?’. Obi-Wan sighed.

“Well, this is going to take a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos appreciated!
> 
> star wars tumblr: clonesdeservebetter.tumblr.com


	3. The Medic

Rex was many things. He was CT-7567, clone captain of the 501st, first officer to Anakin Skywalker, leader of Torrent Company, and he was one of the few clones to go up against Ventress and live.

And he was Force-sensitive. That may have had something to do with it.

He had known all ten years of his life that he was different from most of his other  _vode_ , that he could do and hear things and feel things the others couldn’t, that he wasn’t supposed to. Sure, there were a few like him, but they never lasted long on Kamino. The moment the Kaminoans saw it, even had an inkling that something was off, the cadet disappeared, and nobody was allowed to talk about them again.

So, like most the others who had it, he learned to hide it, and he hid it well. Not even his  _vode_ knew. Well, no one but Cody, but that was only because the man had practically dragged it out of Rex on the shuttle to meet their respective generals (and, in turn, Rex had learned Cody was Force-sensitive, too, which relaxed him more than any drug probably could’ve).

He shouldn’t have been proud about hiding it for so long, but when something keeps you alive longer than others, you tend to take pride in the ability, and the ability to hide his Force-sensitivity was something he was  _very_  proud of. It was something he’d never not be good at, he spent too much time honing the ability, practicing it,  _perfecting_  it, and the rush he got when he did something and nobody suspected him was  _amazing_.

And then,  _that_  battle happened, and the perfect skill was destroyed in seconds.

The rest of the squad had been killed in a Separatist ambush while trying to transport supplies from the local settlement back to their camp, and it was only Rex, Jesse, Hardcase, and Kix left. Jesse and Hardcase had taken it upon themselves to look for any supplies that may have survived, leaving Rex alone with Kix, who looked like he was about to hork up that morning’s rations.

Rex sat beside the medic, taking off his helmet as he did, looking over him with concern before placing a hand on Kix’s shoulder, patting it slightly.

“Hey,” Rex said quietly “You did all you could. Don’t beat yourself up.”

Rex ignored the voice in the back of his head calling him a hypocrite, considering how much he blamed himself for the death toll in the ambush because, considering the fact that Kix didn’t have the Force, Rex  _could’ve_  done something more. 

“You don’t understand, Rex. I  _could’ve_ done something more.” Kix said, miserable, and Rex (not for the first time) wished that he could offer more comfort to his brother than just words and empty, unsure promises of the ending of the war. 

“Kix–”

“I  _could’ve_!” Kix shouted, and Rex pulled away slightly “I could’ve stopped the droids, I could’ve healed them I could’ve… I…”

Kix visibly deflated, and Rex, on instinct, hugged the upset medic. He, as discreetly as possible, wrapped the Force around them, like a blanket. He had done it before, for shinies who couldn’t handle their most recent battle, or  _vode_  who lost their batchmates, and they always would just say that Rex gave the best hugs, even if they didn’t know just  _how_  he was. 

Kix, however, jerked away with a gasp, and Rex quickly pulled the Force back in. Kix stared at him, eyes wide with shock.

“Did you just… did you just  _use the Force_?” The medic asked, hushed, in awe, and Rex shook his head, trying his best (and failing) not to look panicked. 

“No, I just– That’s not–”

“You  _did_. You used the Force. I  _felt_ it, sir. I know the Force when I feel it, and I  _felt_ it.”

Record scratch. Freeze frame.

“ _What_?” Rex asked softly, and it was Kix’s turn to look like a bantha in headlights. 

“I… I can’t do much,” Kix said, the confession implied with his words “I can move things, but not by much. Healing comes naturally, though, but if I do it too much I get exhausted.” 

Rex thought back to all the times he had to order Kix to go lay down after battles. The medic had always been swaying, almost on the verge of falling flat on his face, but still insisting he could do his duty as a medic, and Rex mentally kicks himself for not noticing it sooner.

“Listen, we can talk about this later, Kix,” Rex said, watching Jesse and Hardcase approach them “C’mon, let’s get back to base.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos appreciated!
> 
> sw tumblr: clonesdeservebetter.tumblr.com


	4. Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the title says it all

“Should we  _really_  be doing this?” Dogma asked, walking just behind his  _vode_  as they approached what the 501st was now calling the  _Training Grounds_ “I mean, the general said–”

“What the general doesn’t know won’t hurt him, Dogma,” Hardcase said nonchalantly, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture “Besides, what we’re doing isn’t necessarily  _dangerous_ , we’re just having a bit of fun.”

“Going against orders isn’t exactly my idea of  _fun_ …” Dogma muttered, but didn’t protest further as they entered the section of the cargo hold that had been transformed into what was, in essence, a safe place for the troops to practice their abilities. It was mostly empty at that moment, most of them having gone to get rest before they reached Coruscant so they had the most amount of energy to spend during their off time, but there was at least one trooper there.

“Hey Fives!” Hardcase called out, causing Tup, Dogma, and Oz to all flinch, as if the shout could’ve alerted Skywalker and Tano to their presence all the way down in the cargo hold “You got a sec?”

The ARC Trooper turned around, his face one of surprise, then confusion, then that look of happiness that held an almost trickster sort of quality to it. The kind of look he and Hardcase tended to share before shenanigans began.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Tup asked quietly, and Oz sighed.

“Because you have common sense, Tup.” Oz replied, and the group stopped.

“Well, look what the tooka dragged in!” Fives said, walking away from the worktable he had been standing at where…  _something_  sat, Dogma wasn’t sure what it was, more than likely a Jedi thing “What brings you to the 501st Temple on this fine day?”

“What, I couldn’t just feel the need to visit a brother and see how his training is coming along?” Hardcase asked in mock offense, and Dogma had to resist rolling his eyes. Fives looked up and down him, appraising the group, and then, completely deadpan:

“You want to see me do cool Force shit, don’t you?”

“Hey!  _We_  want to see you do cool Force shit.” Hardcase said, gesturing to the three younger clones. Dogma straightened slightly as Tup and Oz shifted, looking anywhere but the ARC Trooper, who only laughed.

“Can’t promise too much, I’m afraid. Rex is the one that knows how to really use it so far, most I can do is lift things and push other things. Not much else.”

“Yeah, well, the captain actually follows the general’s orders,” Dogma cut in, then adding under his breath “Unlike us, apparently.”

“C’mon, Dogma, live a little! Don’t worry,” Fives walked forward, placing a hand on the younger brother’s shoulder “If I say I was the one who invited you here to show you, I’ll be the one getting in trouble.”

“None of us would be getting in trouble if we weren’t doing this.” 

“Listen, vod,” Tup said gently “If you’re really that worried about it–”

“Then just don’t participate,” Oz finished, crossing his arms “I’m not gonna miss out on this, though. Just think of all the  _uses_  it has! Both on and off the battlefield.”

Dogma opened his mouth, but then sighed in resignation, opting to sit on one of the nearby boxes that hadn’t been cleared out of the area yet. Taking that as the go-ahead from the resident Stickler, Fives and Hardcase were instantly in hushed conversation, and Dogma began to look around the place. 

It was obvious that the place used to be a section of the cargo hold, boxes of various supplies scattered about, some used as tables, some smaller ones (like the one he was sitting on) being used as chairs. The lighting that, while not dim, was not bright enough to light up the area “properly”, and it made Dogma have to squint to see in certain areas. There  _were_  proper tables and chairs, like the worktable with the strange device on it, but the place itself was rather sparse otherwise. It was quiet, calm, and probably the perfect place to practice using the Force in secret. 

_Secret_. That was the biggest thing that irked Dogma about this. Not the fact that they were clones training to be, well, not  _Jedi_ , but definitely something more than what Kamino had planned, not the fact that there were so few, yet so many at the same time, but the fact that it had to be kept a  _secret_. Dogma didn’t do secrets well. Really, nobody in the 501st did, but the only person probably worse than Dogma was  _Fives_ , and even then, he had been able to keep his abilities a secret for so long, how long would it be before Dogma opened his trap and said the wrong thing?

Whatever was in charge of the Force should’ve kept its hands to itself, instead of spreading over his  _vode_. Everything was so much more complicated than before, and it ate Dogma up. That, and how  _relaxed_  so many of them seemed to be with it. 

He particularly mused on that thought as he watched Fives balance several boxes on top of each other by their edges, the tower teetering dangerously as Oz, Tup, and Hardcase watched, completely enraptured by the performance. Dogma couldn’t help but feel many things at once: worry, frustration, resignation, and, somewhere in his gut, he felt the tight coil of  _jealousy_  in his system. 

_‘The least the damn Force could’ve done was given it to all of us.’_  He thought bitterly as the tower was dismantled, the boxes now just spinning idly just off the ground. He watched as Hardcase climbed on top of one, unsteady but eager, and let out an excited laugh as Fives made it fly around the room. Hardcase gripped the box for dear life, and, despite the image that made Dogma’s anxiety spike so bad he was worried he would have to go see Kix for it, both Tup and Oz did the same.

He watched the three fly around the room, far from graceful, laughing and screeching like they were cadets in the flight simulators for the first time. His eyes drifted to Fives, who, although he seemed at ease, was obviously in deep concentration, the effort of his actions causing him to scrunch his brow and breathe deep. 

Dogma felt something twinge inside him, like a spark trying to light a fire, but to avail (an old memory, swept up in the wind). He pushed the feeling aside, and looked back up at his  _vode_ having the absolute times of their lives. 

“ _C’mon Dogma, live a little!_ ” The words echoed in the back of his mind, and Dogma sighed. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. Fives must’ve sense Dogma’s change in attitude, because he saw a smirk appear on the ARC Trooper’s face, and Dogma yelped as the box underneath him jolted upward slightly, causing Dogma to shift his position so that he was holding onto it, his knees tucked underneath him.

Dogma couldn’t help it as he began to move around, he laughed, breathless. Hardcase said something to him, but Dogma couldn’t hear it over the blood rushing in his ears.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

(Later, Kix would deny having seen any of them for box-flying related injuries, but they were all barred from the cargo hold for a week afterwards anyways.)

((“Worth it.” Hardcase said.))

(((”I hate you.” Dogma replied.)))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos appreciated! 
> 
> star wars tumblr: clonesdeservebetter.tumblr.com


	5. Suspicions Arise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shaak ti gets a call, and a series of one-shots get some real deal plot going on

“Master Windu,” Shaak Ti said as the holoprojector she had been given within her apartment flickered to life “This is a surprise. The next Council Meeting isn’t scheduled for a few weeks.”

“Indeed,” Windu’s voice came over the comm clear and even, his face placid, but there was an air of concern around him that could be felt from systems away “I’m afraid I’ve come to contact you on another matter. An...  _off the books_ , matter, I suppose. Is your line secure?”

Shaak blinked. This wasn’t like Master Windu at all. True, there were times he had circumvented the paperwork process by contacting her directly for matters relating to the next batch of clones hitting the battlefield, including recommendations for stationing and the like, but there was something different about this. Maybe it was in the way the other master was holding himself (too stiff, his jaw clenched and eyes tight, she realized as she looked him over), or the way he had asked if the line was secure (a hint of paranoia, mistrust), but  _something_  was wrong. 

“The Kaminoans have told me I have one of the most secure lines on Kamino. The only ones who can access it are their ambassador and myself--”

“Do you have a  _more_  secure line?” Windu asked, and there was now almost certainly  _desperation_  lacing his words “One the Kaminoans cannot access?”

“I... Yes, I have a private holocomm, but--”

“Then I will contact you shortly. Ensure you’re in a spot that isn’t being monitored.”

The line was cut almost instantly afterwards, leaving Shaak even more confused. It was true that the Council had agreed to be wary of the Kaminoans at the very least, but this level of secrecy seemed to be moving from wariness to full-blown paranoia, something that was  _extremely_  unlike Master Windu. It rose concerns, to say the least. 

Regardless, Shaak knew that there was likely a good reason for it. After all, he was among those out in the field, allowed to see their clone troopers as candidly as they could be, as opposed to being on their best behavior for the dozens of eyes that seemed to be watching them at nearly all times. Maybe he had discovered something she was unable to see. Something the Kaminoans had hidden.

She had discovered areas where the Kaminoan’s cameras didn’t reach, blind spots for both audio and visual monitoring, but she also knew she wouldn’t have long, as most Kaminoans and their guards had  _also_  discovered these places after catching misbehaving cadets time and time again. There was  _one_  place she was almost certain would be truly private though: her own fresher.

As soon as the fresher door slid behind her, her private holo began to ring, and she answered it almost instantly. 

“Alright, I’m alone and unmonitored,” Shaak said quietly “What was it you wished to discuss, Master Windu?”

“Have you noticed anything strange about some of the cadets, Master Ti?” Windu asked, sounding cautious, but with a more relaxed posture “Or perhaps  _special_ is a better word for it.”

“Some have incredible skills,” Master Ti began “Others still need to work on emotional control, but overa--”

“I’m not talking about physical skills, Master Ti,” Windu interrupted gently “I mean to ask if there’s anything...  _special_  about some of the cadets.”

Shaak stared at the holo for a moment, confused on the emphasis on the word  _special_  again, before it clicked. Her eyes widened.

“You mean... You’re asking if any of the cadets may be Force sensitive?” Shaak asked, her tone incredulous despite her best efforts to keep it even, and when Windu nodded, her face betrayed her complete and utter disbelief “Master Windu, even if it were possible, which I’m fairly confident it’s not, I’m sure the Kaminoans--”

“Would omit any information about them in reports,” Windu interrupted, less gentle this time “Because we did not  _order_  Force sensitive clones, and because Jango Fett was not Force sensitive, it would be seen as an unwanted mutation. They would be culled as soon as they were discovered.”

“Master Windu!” Shaak all but hissed “I agree, the Kaminoans have rather harsh policies, but killing children--”

“They don’t  _see_  them as children, Shaak,” Windu said, and Shaak was fairly sure he was gritting his teeth “They see them as  _products_.”

Shaak opened her mouth to argue, but found that she really couldn’t. The way they talked about the clones, about their worth, even the terminology they used. The terminology that, she realized rather sickeningly, she had adapted to using a bit too fast. Cadets, not children.  _It_ instead of  _he_.  _Numbers_  instead of  _names_. 

“I haven’t noticed any, Master Windu,” Shaak Ti said, then, quietly admitting “I never though to look.”

“None of us did, Master Ti. Now, at least a handful of us know better.”

“A handful?” Ti prompted “You haven’t told the rest of the Council yet?”

“No,” Windu said “I haven’t. Neither have the others, and I hope you will continue this discretion.”

“Why not tell the others?”

Windu paused, sighing softly and leaning over whatever surface he was using to hold the call. He looked down, then looked back up at Ti.

“Reactions to it may...  _vary_. In addition, there may be members of the Council who want to either keep this buried or bring it into the public eye. We need evidence of the Kaminoans actively attempting to hunt and eliminate these individuals before the latter happens, and we need to be able to put together a convincing argument in case the former occurs.”

Shaak nodded, understanding the other master’s train of thought. It wasn’t something the Council was proud of, but if information harmed the Order or Republic existed, they would often keep it to themselves. It was a public relation situation, really, but if something like this were happening, well, it couldn’t be ignored. Not this time.

“This evidence, I’m assuming you’re hoping I will be able to collect it?” Shaak asked, and when Windu nodded, she continued “It will take time. Kamino has tight surveillance measures in place, and even tighter restrictions on information and access to areas.”

“Do what you must, Master Ti, just be careful. They can’t discover our suspicions.”

“Of course, Master Windu. May the Force be with us.”

“Indeed.” Mace finished, and then, once more, the line was cut. Shaak sighed heavily, processing the information she had just been given. How had Windu gotten this information? Were there Force sensitive clones out on the field, fighting and hiding in plain sight? 

It didn’t matter. Her job was to focus on the children of Kamino, on the cadets of the G.A.R. She walked out of her fresher, and was startled by the sight of Taun We standing in apartment. It must’ve shown, because Taun We bowed apologetically. 

“I apologize for the intrusion, Master Jedi, but the ambassador asked me to check in on you. After Master Windu cut the communication line, he grew concerned. Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Shaak answered, regaining herself “Everything’s alright. It was simply some private Jedi business. Nothing to concern yourselves with. Though, I will say that I do not appreciate being monitored.”

“Ah,” Taun We nodded slightly “I see. Please understand, it’s just part of security protocol. No offense was meant, I assure you.”

“I see,” Shaak said “Well, thank you for your concern. I think its best we return to our duties for the time being, though.”

“I agree, Master Jedi.” Taun We said, then, with another bow, left the apartment. 

‘ _Step one_ ’ Shaak thought ‘ _Find and disable monitoring devices in apartment._ ’

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Mace Windu paced in his room aboard the  _Endurance_ , worry uncharacteristically clouding his mind. He stopped, sighing heavily as he leaned forward on the desk in the room. This had to be the right thing to do, it  _had_  to be. When Ponds had told him the situation, had revealed that other Jedi knew (Kenobi, Skywalker, Secura, Koon), he knew he couldn’t let it lay.

He had to do  _something_.

He felt Ponds enter the room, the soft swoosh of the door opening and closing causing him to turn around and face the commander. 

“Thank you, sir,” Ponds said “I know its not easy but... It’ll be worth it. I promise.”

Windu offered a tired smile.

“I’m sure it will, Ponds.” Windu said, then thought ‘ _It has to be_.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> star wars tumblr: clonesdeservebetter.tumblr.com


End file.
